Improvement in refrigerator-cars



J. H. WICKES. REFRIGERATOR CAR.

Patented March 27,1877. 6R .1.

No.1s9,oo1.

UNITED STATES- JAMES H; wrom-1s, or NEWYQRK', N.1Y.

IMPROVEMENT-ln RgFmeERAToR-CARS.

` vSpeciticz-tti-on forming part ofLetters Patent-No.

159,001, dated Marche?, 1877; imputation und February 1, 1877.

To all 4whom it may concern Be it-known lthat I, JAMES H. WICKES, of the city, county, and-State of New York, have invented a new and .useful improvement in Refrigerator-Cars, which improvement'is fully s et forth in the Afollowing speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which-- Y Figure 1 represents aI longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 vis aninverted plan. Fig. 3 is a tran'sverse vertical section in the planev a: m, Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are details,. which will ,be referred to as the description progresses. j

Similar letters-indicate corresponding pn rts.

This invention consists in the combination of a self-actin g float-valve with theice-chamil bercf a refrigerating-car, and with a valvechamber and waste-pipe situated at or near one sideof the car, so that, Whenever the car is inclined toward the side4 containing the valve-chamber, the ice-water which has accumulated on the .bottomof the ice-chamber is caused to flood the valve-chamber, the floatvalve is raised, and the water discharged, carrying off the impurities which are mixed with it, and preventing theA waste-pipe from clogging. A current of air is circulated through the ice-chamber and through the provisionchamber o f the. car by means of a fan-blower, to which motion is imparted by a'friction-pulley, the shaft of which has its bearings in a gravita-ting frame situated below the bottom of the car, as described in my Patent No. 177,907. With this gravitating frame I have now combined a handegearkso that by raising said frame the fan-blower can be driven by hand, while the car is standing still. A ratch- 'et-wheel and pawl serves to raise the gravitating frame and to retain it in such a position that the friction-roller is thrown out of contact with the pulley on the car-axle, thereby stopping the motion of the fan-blower when the car is in motion, and at the same time the wheels which compose the hand gear are brought to engage with each other, so that the fan-blower ,can be driven by hand whenever it may be desirable.

In the drawing, the letter A designates a railroadcar, which is divided by two vertical partitions, a b, into three compartments, B G D, one of which forms the ice-chamber, the other the provision-chamber, and the third an airchamber. In the ice-chamber is situated an air-distributer, E, which is made of perforated sheet metal, and extends throughout the entire width of the car. This air-distributer communica-tes. by a pipe or duct, c, with a fan-blower, F, which draws its air through a pipe, d, from the air-chamber D. The air which is injected through the air-distributer into the ice-chamber escapes through openings e into the provision-chamber, whence it passes through openings f in the top of the partition b into the air-chamber, to be sucked in again and again by the fan-blower.

In the bottom of the ice-chamber, close to one of .its sides, is secured a waste-pipe, g, for-carrying ofi' the ice-water. This wastepipe extends a short dist-ance above the bottom of a valvechamber, 71 Fig. 4, which is secured in the bottom of the ice-chamber.

On this bottom are secured slats i, which support the junks of ice, leaving channels through which the icewater can lind its wayinto the valve-chamber It, and over this valve-chamber is secured a board, j, so as to protect the valve, k. This valve is constructed of sheet metal; and it is provided with a wooden bottom, Z, the edge of the sheet-metal case being made to project below this bottom, as shown in Fig. 4.

0n the under surface of the bottom Z is se cured a layer of india-rubber, and in the bottom is fastened a rod, m, which extends through ther waste-pipe g, so that the valve can be raised from its seat from the outside, whenever it may be desirable. When the valve is placed on the waste-pipe, its bottom being lined with india rubber produces a close jouit on the top edge of said. pipe, so as to exclude the external air, As the ice-water accumulates in the valve-chamber the valve is buoyed np, and the surplus water escapes without car passes round a curve so as to depress that side ofthe car which contains the Waste-pipe, the ice-Water which has accumulated between the slats t' rushes toward the valve-chamber, the valve is suddenly raised from its seat and the water discharges violently, so as to carry oli sawdust, straw, or other impurities which may have become mixed with the ice-water,

permitting any air to enter, and whenever the the valve-chamber h1 being situateddinside the car, so that its temperature is precisely the same as that in the chamber. It' atrap of the ordinary construction is used, thefwaste-'pipe is liable to freeze up in a cold night, and it does not thaw during the day', so thatvthe ice-water Y cannot discharge.

The fan-blower F is situated between the 'door-beams of the car, and on its arbor is mounted a pulley, fn, from which extends a belt, o, to a pulley, p, which is mounted on a shaft, q, that has its bearings in the outer en'd of a gravitating frame, G. The inner; en'dof this frame swings on a pivot, r, (seeFig. 2,) and on, the shaft q is also mounted a pulley, s, which bears down upon a pulley, t, mounted on one of theY car-axles. Both thesepulleys are covered with india-rubber, leather,'or other suitable material, sof that, -WhenI the Icar is in motion, Vthe pulley s is caused to revolve by frictional contact, and thel fan'blowerfreceives the required motion. This fan-blower is so constructed that it injects air into the vice-chamber in 'whatever direction 'fit may be turned. Y

Qn the shaft q is also mounted a pinion, u, and to the outer end of the gravitating frame G is secured a chain or rope, c, 'which is at-.

tached to a shaft,`a/, situated below the bottom of the car, and extending out beyond its side, so that a hand-crank can be attached to it. On this shaft is mounted a ratchet-'Wheel `b, Fig. 5, with which engages apawl, c',-

and if said shaft is turned in the proper direction, the gravitating frame is raised and retained in its elevated position by the pawl and ratchet-wheel.

In the` bottomv ofrthe car.is.al so,.mou.l.ltedra seconid shaft, `l',"v'\7ihich :runs parallelfto'the shaft a', and on which is mounted a cogwvheel, c', in such a'position that, when the gravitating frameis raised, the pinion u is thrown in gear with said cog-wheel e. A hand-crank, f ,serves tor-turn*` thef-shftid'.

When it is desired to stop the motion o'f the fan-blower while the car is in motion, the lgravitating'frame Gr isfraised and retained in its elevated position, and if the lcar is standing still, and itis desired to impart motion to the Afan-blower, this' object -is` e'eeted` by rais- -iingathe gravitating frame and turning the shaft d by hand.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1."'1lhe combination, with the ice-chamber secured lin the bottom ofthe ice-chamber, a self-actingvalve, '10, "arranged in 'the'- valvechamber, 4and a `Wasite-pipe, g, extendingfrom the latter y-a-bove' iftsbttom said' valve being protected by the board j, substantiallyasfaaxd for the purpose described 2. fThe combination," in'a refrigerator-car, o'f a-han'd-'geaq-"de' u; `with the4 gravitating 'fra me G,puleys p`fand a, arid fan-blower' F, substantially'asfand for' the purpose-set forth.

3.*"1hey combination, in '-a :refrigerator-car, of a1 ratchetwheel, 'b2-pawl c', anid -shaft a', with the gravitatingl frame G, pulleys p and n, and fair-blowerF;substantially as -and'f-for the Ipurpose shown and described.

have herellvnto'setl my Ihand and seal'this' 27 th day of January, 1 877.

JAMES H. vfWIGK-ESL l L.' 8.]

Witnesses I RWJHAUFF, y -E. FJ-KASTENHBER. 

